OSTMAN, Bjorn*; OAKLEY, Todd H.; University of California, Santa Barbara: Evolutionary rates of loss and gain of gene expression The importance of gene regulatory elements for evolutionary events has been largely overshadowed by a focus on the evolution of protein-coding sequences. Nevertheless, regulatory elements should be important for evolution, in part due to their short […]

COLLAZO, Andres; BRICAUD, Olivier; ZELLER, Robert W.; House Ear Institute, Los Angeles; House Ear Institute, Los Angeles; San Diego State University: Developmental role of the Pax-Six-Eya-Dach gene regulatory network during chordate evolution Many studies in Drosophila have demonstrated that members of the Pax, Six, Eya and Dach gene families interact with each other and are […]

OBER, KA; JOCKUSCH, EL*; College of the Holy Cross; University of Connecticut: Conserved appendage morphology results from divergence in appendage developmental networks in insects Appendage development has been well studied in Drosophila. However, Drosophila limbs are formed from imaginal discs, which are patterned during larval life, rather than developing directly during embryogenesis as in most […]

ATWELL, J.W.*; BOUGHTON, R.K.; SCHOECH, S.J.; Indiana Univ.*; Univ. of Memphis: THE EFFECTS OF AN ECTOPARASITE ON IMMUNE FUNCTION, STRESS RESPONSE, AND SURVIVAL OF FLORIDA SCRUB-JAYS In long-lived iteroparous organisms that delay reproduction, life-history theory predicts the evolution of strong host responses to parasite infestation that will maximize lifetime reproductive success. While the effects of […]

PURRENHAGE, J.L.*; NIEWIAROWSKI, P.H.; MOORE, F.B.-G.; ZAMUDIO, K.R.; Univ. of Akron; Univ. of Akron; Univ. of Akron; Cornell University: Regional population dynamics of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in a fragmented landscape Metapopulation theory provides a framework for predicting population persistence and other population dynamic behavior when populations in a given landscape are connected by dispersal. […]

BEECHER, N.A.*; DEMAS, G.E.; Indiana University; Indiana University: Frog declines: exploring connections between climate change, immunity and disease. For the past 16 years, marked declines have been recorded for 40% of the frog and toad species in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve (MCFP), Costa Rica. With 15 years of population monitoring and 30 years of […]

WOODHAMS, Douglas/C; ALFORD, Ross/A; BRIGGS, Cheryl/J; ROLLINS-SMITH, Louise/A; Vanderbilt University; James Cook University; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Vanderbilt University: Disease-Associated Amphibian Population Declines Fit Model of Pathogen Growth and Host Innate Immunity The chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is the agent of chytridiomycosis, a globally emerging infectious disease of amphibians. Bd develops through multiple stages […]

STREBY, H. M.; Ohio University: Avian hematozoa of nesting neotropical migrants: patterns related to forestry techniques Avian hematozoa have been traditionally viewed as nonpathogenic in the wild. However, recent studies have started to uncover the sometimes small, sometimes detrimental effects of parasites on the physiological condition of their avian hosts. Rates of parasitism can vary […]

MILES, D. B.; STREBY, H. M.; Ohio University; Ohio University: Avian community responses to prescribed burns and shelterwood harvests Previous forest management practices in U. S. Forests emphasized the suppression fires. A consequence of this management practice has been the excessive accumulation of fuel and high tree densities. In order to avoid severe and catastrophic […]

GARB, J.E.*; HAYASHI, C.Y.; University of California, Riverside; University of California, Riverside: Strong and sticky gene products: molecular evolution of spider silk genes. Spiders are unique in their ability to spin multiple types of task-specific silks. Each type of spider silk is composed of exceptionally long, repetitive protein molecules (fibroins) that are synthesized in specialized […]